General site characteristics

Salung MöndurSa lung mon dur is located above the Salung ChuSa lung chu, in fairly close proximity to Salung KhangroSa lung khang ro, a dark-colored mountain on the west side of an east-west running valley, in the PenchéPhan che region. The site has fairly wide views in all directions, especially to the south. The terrain is level, well drained and sandy.
Salung MöndurSa lung mon dur consists of ten relatively well-preserved funerary structures that
form a compact and integrated group. These structures are built of uncut light-colored pieces of granite of variable length (15 cm to 50 cm long). A number of
different types of structures are found at Salung MöndurSa lung mon dur, each of which is liable to
have had highly specific funerary functions (both burial and ritual in nature). The various elements of the site are not symmetrically arrayed. The most
elaborate and skillfully built structure is funerary structure FS1, a complex trapezoidal structure, which sits on the east end of the site. There are also
five ovoid and sub-rectangular, heaped-stone wall enclosures (all with open interiors) (FS2, FS3, FS4, FS7, and FS8), and one quadrate enclosure with stones
embedded along the perimeter (FS9). Additionally, there are three narrow rectangular structures of a type not encountered elsewhere (these structures are not
aligned in the cardinal directions) (FS5, FS6 and FS10). Finally, there is a small ring of stones as well as obscured minor structural traces at Salung MöndurSa lung mon dur.

Oral tradition

According to local drokpa’Brog pa, Salung MöndurSa lung mon dur is associated with the ancient MönMon.

Site elements

Funerary Structure FS1

Funerary structure FS1 is a uniquely designed, trapezoidal enclosure with well-developed double-course perimeter walls. Its parallel east and west walls
have a north-south alignment. The well-built robust dry-stone random-rubble perimeter walls of FS1 are 40 cm to 80 cm in height, and 80 cm to 1 m in
thickness. They are comprised of three to four vertical courses of stones. In between the outer and inner courses, granite rubble was inserted as a filler
to enhance the structural integrity of the walls. The interior of the enclosure is slightly higher than the adjacent terrain. In the middle of the
enclosure there is a shallow rock-filled pit about 1.5 m in diameter. This depression may be the remains of a grave chamber.

Funerary Structure FS2

Funerary structure FS2 is situated 4.3 m north of FS1. This more conventionally designed enclosure has heaped-stone perimeter walls and probably a
sub-rectangular form. The walls of FS2 are elevated around 50 cm above the surrounding terrain. The east wall (3.7 m long) is largely intact and has a
north-south alignment. The east-west dimensions of FS2 are also around 3.7 m. The north wall of this enclosure is partly intact, while the south and west
walls have almost completely disappeared.

Funerary Structure FS3

Funerary structure FS3 (3.4 m by 2.7 m) is situated 1.5 m west of FS2. This enclosure has walls of a non-descript design, and these have degraded to give
the structure an ovoid form. The walls appear to be of the heaped-stone variety, whereby stones were piled up along the perimeter with no stipulated order
or arrangement.

Funerary Structure FS4

Funerary structure FS4 (4.9 m by 5 m) is situated 2.4 m to the west of FS3. This ovoid structure is highly degraded. Its heaped-stone wall perimeter is
around 50 cm in height and 60 cm in thickness.

Funerary Structure FS5

Funerary structure FS5 (3.5 m by 80 cm) is situated 7 m northeast of FS2. This unusually designed rectangular structure consists of a solid mass of stones
that is embedded in the ground surface. These stones protrude as much as 20 cm from the ground surface. A few loose stones are strewn around the top of
the structure as well.

Funerary Structure FS6

Funerary structure FS6 (2.7 m by 1 m) is situated 1.6 m northeast of FS5. This long narrow rectangular structure is of the same general type as FS5;
however, it is composed of several layers of stones piled on top of one another. FS6 is elevated about 50 cm above the surrounding ground level. The
stones of this structure were neatly piled up in such a way so that a long narrow gap was left open in the middle of the top. This gap is somewhat
depressed below the level of the stones flanking it.

Funerary Structure FS8

Funerary structure FS8 (4 m by 2.6 m) is situated 14.5 m west of FS7 and 7.2 m northwest of FS4. FS8 is another sub-rectangular, heaped-stone wall
enclosure with an open interior. Much of the perimeter wall is flush with the ground surface. A portion of the enclosing wall, however, is prominently
elevated.

Funerary Structure FS9

Funerary structure FS9 (3 m by 3 m) is situated 9.3 m west of FS8. This quadrate enclosure appears to have had single-course walls, consisting of upright
stones embedded in the ground. These stones project a little above the surface. FS9 has been partly overgrown with grass.

Funerary Structure FS10

Funerary structure FS10 is situated 10.2 m east of FS1, and is of the same general type of structure as FS5 and FS6. Rather than walls constructed by
piling sones up in no set order, the stones of FS10 were laid out in two orderly parallel rows. These stones protrude upwards of 30 cm above ground level.
There is an open space around 30 cm in width between the two courses of stones, in which a few dislodged stones have impinged. Between FS6 and FS10 there
is a ring of small stones, measuring 90 cm in diameter. The single line of stones making up this ring protrudes a little above the ground surface.

Affiliated sites

DornaRdor sna

A gray granite funerary structure is found at DornaRdor sna, not far from Salung MöndurSa lung mon dur (31° 41.411΄ N. lat. / 83° 56.271΄ E. long. / 4550m). This quadrate
enclosure (5.1 m by 6 m) is aligned in the cardinal directions. The highly fragmentary, double-course walls contain stones up to 80 cm in length. These
stones are flush with the ground surface or slightly rise above it. Stones that were freed from the structure have been piled up in the middle of it to
form a cairn, 1.5 m in height. There are possibly two other funerary structures flanking this enclosure, but virtually nothing is left on the surface to
visually inspect.